


Take My Hand in the Storm

by SomeGoodSheith



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Drabble, Fluff, M/M, Pre-Kerberos Mission, Young and In Love, rain proposal, they just need to be happy okay, this drabble is meant to be nothing but sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-18
Updated: 2018-02-18
Packaged: 2019-03-20 23:41:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,309
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13728483
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SomeGoodSheith/pseuds/SomeGoodSheith
Summary: Keith and Shiro go on a midnight trip, where everything changes.And they couldn't be happier.





	Take My Hand in the Storm

**Author's Note:**

  * For [leosunderground](https://archiveofourown.org/users/leosunderground/gifts).



It's been raining for three days now. Not that it bothers the Garrison’s cadets and pilots; their main activities - trainings, simulations, lessons - are indoors. In fact, they rarely go outside, unless they either have permission to use an actual flight machine for further training (which they don't, much to many of their dismay) or when they are able to sneak out. 

In the case of two certain young men, the latter happens on a weekly basis, if not more. 

 

*

 

Shiro stares out of the closed window, beyond the pools of water running down the glass, to the sand and hills of the desert outside. He is currently deep in thought, his mind wandering away to so many ifs and whens, that the scenery of winds and rain turning the sand into mud, sticky and soft, is completely vanished from his sight. 

It's a voice that brings him back to reality. This voice is calling his name in such a delicate yet worried way, that he feels an instant stutter in his chest. 

After blinking his thoughts away, his head is turning to the source of that beautiful voice, only to confirm it with an equally beautiful face. 

Keith's eyes are naturally big, always watching with alert and attention. His eyebrows bend and squeeze softly into a mild frown, but there's still a hint of a smile in each corner of his mouth. 

“Are you okay? You've been standing here for a while…”

Shiro smiles with a warmth so radiating, that he can practically see his boyfriend's shoulders relax by the sheer sight of it. 

He loves being able to do that. 

“Yeah. I'm fine. Just… Thinking.” He finally says.

“... The Kerberos mission is getting close, huh?” Keith murmurs. 

“Yeah. Two weeks.” Shiro confirms. “I still can't really believe it's happening. But I think it's going to feel the most real when it actually happens.”

“Yeah. But - don't dwell too much on it. You're going to be great, you know that, right?” the younger one smiles, and Shiro knows he means every word. 

“Thanks. It means a lot to me to hear you say that.”

There's a moment of silence and Shiro's mind is wandering again, just for a little while. He nods to himself, and takes Keith's hand in his own. 

Keith is visibly red, but he intwines their fingers all the same, keeping their hands close to his chest so his body would hide them from outsiders prying eyes. 

Their relationship has started like any of them should - with curiosity, mutual respect, support and kindness. Everyone could see how well they got along right away, how comfortable they immediately were with each other, despite the slight age gap. 

After a while, they only get closer. From talking about themselves, they keep talking about each other. Subtly, they seek each other's gaze in every crowd and every occupied hall, and when they can't, they ask about each other's whereabouts. They can be seen sitting with each other in any opportunity they have, having a conversation or laughing amongst themselves.

Yet no one knows that their fondness for each other only grew with time, deepened and rooted until it became something much more. No one knows about their secret meetings in quiet hidden hallways where their compliments turn into love confessions. No one knows they sneak onto the roof of the Garrison building, where their conversations about loving and yearning for exploring the stars and space above turn into loving and yearning for one another. No one knows that sometimes, when they get the chance, they go to each other's room, where reassuring touches on the shoulder turn into loving caresses on the cheeks, the hair, the back, the bum; where a smile turns into a kiss, and a word turns into a moan. 

And now, that Shiro stands in front of his lover so closely, watching his excited blush become soft as their touch never ceases, he can’t help but keep on smiling that dumb smile of his.

Keith looks up at him and laughs. “What?”

“Nothing. Can’t I look at my boyfriend and smile?” 

“Someone might hear you.”

“So? Let them. We’re both grown ups. I’d shout it in front of the whole Garrison if you’d let me.”

Keith chuckles. “I’d let you if it wouldn’t’ve sabotaged your entire career.”

Shiro sighs. “And yours.” 

“Yeah. But I only just began. You’ve got Kerberos to worry about.”

“And you’ll do much more than Kerberos, Keith. I know it.” 

Keith bites his lip, and Shiro would have given anything to kiss him, right here and now. He loves how flustered he can make him with his mere words.

After glancing beyond Keith’s shoulders and making sure that no one is looking at their direction, Shiro raises the smaller hand up and presses his lips to its back. He can hear his boyfriend huff and smile again, and he knows it was worth the risk.

“Oh,” Keith’s voice reaches him again, after he glances at his watch. “My next class’ gonna start soon. I gotta go before they don’t let me do a simulation again. Which is a stupid punishment for being late, if you ask me.” 

“They have no idea what they’re missing,” Shiro nods, and stops Keith from walking away when a soft “ah” sound escapes him. “Keith. Tonight at midnight. Let’s meet in our usual place.”

“With that much rain outside? Do you wanna catch a cold before your mission?”

“Please. It’s really important.” 

There’s a small pause of consideration. “Shiro. Are you sure?” Keith asks, genuinely worried.

“Yes. Besides, it’s the perfect cover. No one will think anyone would go outside in that weather. If you want, I can take us on my hoverbike and find somewhere else. I’ll even let you ride it.”

Keith’s eyes sparkled. “You’ll let me ride your hoverbike?” 

A laughter escaped him.  _ Perfect _ . “Sure. You know it’s all yours once I’ve gone on the mission, anyways. So why not let you practice some more?” 

“Oh my god,” Keith breaths and hugs Shiro before he can stop himself. “I love you,” he whispers into his ear, his smile widening even more when he sees his boyfriend’s cheeks and ears go red. 

Shiro clears his throat. “Okay, then. It’s settled. You can go on to your class now, cadet.”

“Yes, sir,” Keith grins, and with one last squeeze of his hand, he trots away and beyond the crowd, leaving Shiro to take a few deep breaths in order to settle his racing heartbeat.

 

*

 

Midnight comes, and Shiro finds Keith waiting just where they said they would. The rain stopped for a small while now, but in the cold of the desert and the way it has been for the last few days, they have no way of knowing if it’s stopped completely or just taking a break.

Not that they care.

Keith waves with one hand as the other one is in his pocket. He’s out of uniform, and put on his civilian clothes, along with the red jacket he knows Shiro likes.

They kiss before his taller boyfriend pulls him to the underground parking lot, and there, with all the other vehicles the Garrison owns, they find Shiro’s red hoverbike. Since he finished last year as the top pilot of the entire establishment, it was given to him as a gift, which he was free to choose by himself between several rewards. In the aftermath, it was the perfect choice, as Keith expressed his undying love for that hoverbike as soon as he laid his eyes on it. 

The only problem is, Shiro only has one helmet. It was a one-man reward, after all, and much to his dismay, Keith always insists on leaving the helmet to protect the head of his boyfriend, no matter how many agreements they already had amongst themselves. This time is no different, even in the cold and the risk of having yet another burst of heavy rain at any moment.

They use a sound-based key that Shiro got along with the bike to open the metal doors remotely. No alarm was heard for opening those doors - with Matt’s help, he muted that effect whenever that specific key was in use, mainly for sneak-out purposes. 

Keith twists his wrist on the handle and turns his head to Shiro. “Hold onto me, babe,” he smiles, and Shiro gladly wraps his arms around his boyfriend’s waist as tightly as he can. “Ready?”

“Ready when you are,” he confirms, and with that, the hoverbike floats away with speed.

The cold wind is nothing compared to the warmth shared between them. Shiro smiles and makes sure to lean as closely as possible, resting his chin on Keith’s shoulder to watch the way along with him. The light coming out of the bike is making the sand ahead of them beam in pale beige, while the rest of the world is filled with nothing but the shadows of the night. His glance is turning up to the midnight sky, that is getting more and more starry the farther away they get from their school’s massive building. 

A smile is decorating his face even when he closes his eyes and leans his cheek against Keith’s back. His heart speeds along with the rhythm of their ride. There’s nothing more perfect that this moment, that is only shared between him, Keith and the endless desert. 

“Is there somewhere you want us to go?” Keith’s voice reaches his ear, and Shiro raises his head. 

“Mm. Not specifically. Just stop somewhere.” 

“Want us to go to my place?”

“... Nah. Let’s go somewhere new. Somewhere we never stopped in before.” 

He can hear Keith chuckle. “Alright. Though in a desert, you may never know.”

“Be a bit more creative, hon.” Shiro teases. 

They end up stopping on a random hill in the middle of the desert. They park the hoverbike nearby and sit by each other on top of the sand. At some point, Shiro pulls Keith closer with his arm around his back, and smiles when his boyfriend easily complies. 

“It’s beautiful tonight, isn’t it?” He says, and the younger man hums. “That’s what I like the most about the desert. You can just… see everything that the Garrison and the city are hiding.” 

Keith chuckles at that. “The city is a shit place anyways. I prefer being here with you.”

Shiro kisses the top of his head in response. 

The quiet is comfortable between them. They stay like this for a while, legs and arms wrapped around each other even in their sitting position, with the one’s chin resting upon the younger one’s hair. 

Despite that relaxed atmosphere, Shiro’s mind races again. He can feel his own cheeks burn even in the cold, the more he thinks.

“Takashi,” the whisper is barely reaching him, but then again, it’s the only sound besides the wind that pierces the silence. He moves his head and looks down, only to see Keith gazing up at him with those big eyes of his. The dark night is making the color of his irises seem almost black, but the hint of grey and purple is still there. “Your heart is really fast. Are you sure you’re okay sitting here like this?” 

The smile that spreads on Shiro’s face is warm and grateful. “Yeah. I’m just…”

“ - Thinking. I know,” Keith interrupts. “What are you thinking about?” 

The question makes Shiro blush, and he’s thankful that it’s the middle of the night. “I just need… to ask you something,” he confesses, “but I… still need to find a way how.”

Keith leans away to have a better look at his boyfriend. “Go ahead. You can always talk to me, you know that.”

“Yeah, I know. I - uh - it’s just. Um.”

“... It’s just…?”

“Hard.”

“It’s hard to ask me a question?” Keith’s voice is turning confused.

“Yes. I mean, no. I mean - this. This particular question… is hard. To ask.”

“But why - “

A lightning is clashing up in the darkness above them, and then - a thunder roars. The two of them look up to suddenly notice the stars are gone behind heavy clouds, and before they could even respond to it - the rain is starting once again.

“Ah -” Keith gasps as the both of them, within an instant, are completely wet. They are holding each other as they stand up. “We gotta go back.”

“No - wait. Keith.” Shiro stops him when he is turning away. Keith turns to him, his damp hair falls upon his eyes just like Shiro’s own. “I still need to ask you something!”

“What - right here? In the middle of the monsoon?” He asks. 

Shiro’s smile is embarrassed. “It’s - it’s really important.” 

There’s a pause, but eventually, Keith doesn’t move from his place. “Well, what it is?” 

Licking his lips - as if they didn’t already get wet from the rain - Shiro bends on one knee. He opens his pocket and pushes his hand into it, only to hold a small, square box. 

Keith’s eyes widen.

“Keith -” Shiro says, trying to be loud enough beyond the wind and rain around them, “you’re the most important man in my life. I’ve - I’ve never loved anyone else as much as I love you. And… I’ll be gone soon for a long time, and I know it’s pretty messed up to do this now, but I still want to. Because I know I’m gonna regret it forever if I don’t.”

He opens the box, and in it, a set of two identical golden rings shine with the reflection of the deep blue and grey of the stormy night. 

“So, Keith Kogane… will you marry me?”

It’s only a short moment of silence between them, aside of the storm. Keith’s shock turns into pure happiness, and he smiles so brightly that it could turn any nighttime into a sunny day. “Yes! Yes - of course I will!”

Shiro laughs in sheer joy. Despite the heavy rain that pours on them with no mercy or will to stop, he knows the two of them are crying together. 

He pushes himself up and approaches to put one of the rings on Keith’s finger, when the damp sand underneath his feet is too soft to handle the sudden change of weight. His legs swipe backwards and he slips with a yelp, helplessly sliding down the sandy hill. His eyes are screwed shut, as well as his mouth, to prevent any mud from bursting in; his fist is squeezed around the ring and the box to keep them from getting lost.

When he stops at the feet on the hill, the only thing he can hear is Keith’s voice, calling his name, then the sound of his boyfriend simply sliding down after him. As soon as his boyfriend reaches him, he gathers Shiro in his arms.

“Are you okay?” He asks in concern.  

Shiro looks up at him in shock for a single moment. Keith doesn’t care how dirty they are, how wet and cold. He doesn’t care that Shiro has completely humiliated himself in front of him - none of it matters. Once again, despite the ridiculous situation, he proves to only cares about his safety, and it fills Shiro’s chest with a wave of warmth. 

“Yeah. I’m fine,” he confirms with a laughter, because at least one of them needs to find this situation funny. He then takes Keith’s hand in his and easily slides the ring on his boyfriend’s fourth finger. “It looks perfect on you.” He says.

Keith stares at it for a moment. “How did you even get two golden rings?”

He gets a chuckle in return. “Well… let’s just say it involves the some friends, a very big lie that might get me expelled, and the shitty city you so much like to hate.”

“And by some friends, you mean Matt.”

“Amongst others.”

“And his sister. And Professor Holt.”

“... Yeah.”

Keith’s smile couldn’t be sweeter. “I’ll make sure to thanks them… but wait. I didn’t put your ring on you yet.”

“Oh. Right. Here,” Shiro hands him the box, where the second ring is perfectly dry for mere seconds before the rain gets to it as well. Without a care, Keith takes it and puts it on Shiro, loving the way they match each other perfectly. He stares at it for a while longer before putting his hands on both sides of his boyfriend’s face, and pulls into a long, heated kiss. 

It’s another thunder that reminds them where they are. They laugh and do their best to get up without falling again, and make their way to the hoverbike shakily, with their arms around each other.

Shiro doesn’t let go when they get on the bike, and even tightens his grip all the way back to the Garrison.

 

*

 

The heavy metal doors open at their command, and quietly, the two dripping men slide back into the underground parking lot. They put the wet hoverbike in its place, breathing heavily from effort and the cold.

They lean together against the nearby wall, completely wet and dirty. Without even thinking, they begin to laugh again, this time in a burst of joy and disbelief.  

Shiro is the first to speak after catching his breath. “So… we’re engaged,” he says, and Keith nods. “Are you, um… are you sure you don’t want to think about it? You know, I’m gonna be gone for a long time and - “

His words die down when he feels a set of lean, wet arms wrap around his neck a tightly as they can.

“... I’ve never been more sure about anything in my entire life,” Keith whispers. “I’ll wait for you, Takashi. I’ll be there when you return. And we’ll get out of here when I graduate and we’ll have the best wedding ever.” 

Shiro laughs softly at that, and feels the tears stuck in his throat. He knows his boyfriend - his  _ fiance _ \- is going to keep his promise. He can feel it in his bones. 

Keith moves to kiss his lover’s neck, and only manages to do so for a few times before his lips are caught between Shiro’s, which are still trembling and cold but oh so hot all at once. 

“Hey, um -” Shiro murmured between Keith’s lips, releasing a moan every now and again, as the smaller set of palms are sliding up and down his body and making his shiver become one of an entire different kind than the freezing weather from before. “What day is it again?”

“Mm - Friday,” Keith replies, finally realizing that somehow they turned, so his back is now pressed to the concrete wall, as Shiro’s front is leaning fully against him. “I mean, technically Saturday, because it’s like - one in the morning. Why?”

“So… it means… Matt’s already gone with his dad back home. They always go a day early just because they can.” He can feel the other set of lips smile against his own, yet finally, they slide their heads down until their foreheads are the only facial parts that make contact. Their breaths are hard and labored, and they still tremble - but the cold is long gone. “Do you… wanna go up to my room?” He offers eventually. 

“I’ll be glad to… future-husband.” Keith smiles, and the two of them mirror each other but cupping each other’s cheeks. The golden rings are sparkling even in the dim light, right in the corner of their eyes. 

They let go of each other, yet still intwine their fingers and walk in a slow pace. Even when they don’t look at each other, they know they are both smiling, still feeling excited about their new status. 

The time to establish it is short, but it’s alright. 

Because no matter what, no matter how long they’re apart, they will always be back together. 

Always. 

**Author's Note:**

> Another gift for the lovely @leosunderground who keeps my muse alive.
> 
> I really hope you liked this fic, and I'd really appreciate if you leave your thoughts in the comments :>
> 
> P.S. I'm sorry about In My Dreams And Nightmares, guys. I'm working on it. If you're waiting for it, thank you for being patient~


End file.
